Car seized as police narrow search for driver who hit mom in New Ipswich

NEW IPSWICH - Police have identified a suspect and have seized the vehicle that may have hit a woman while she was walking her daughter on Thayer Road last month.

On April 25 around 10:30 a.m., Crystal Hazelton, 24, of Wyman Road, was walking her daughter in her stroller along Thayer Road when a car hit her from behind. Hazelton, who was injured by the impact and flown to UMass Medical Center in Worcester, Mass., was able to describe the vehicle as a small black car.

Police Chief Garrett Chamberlain said that last week, while following up on a number of tips and leads from the public, he visited a home on Thayer Road to look at a black Honda Accord.

'The owner of the car allowed me to take the vehicle from the property,' said Chamberlain. 'There was damage to the passenger-side right front fender, and the passenger-side window was smashed out.'

Chamberlain got a search warrant to go through the car and the investigation continued. Based on the evidence his department has collected thus far, the chief said he has a fairly good idea of who the suspect is, but he said he wasn't ready yet to make an arrest or to release the suspect's name.

'I think it's going to be soon,' he said, 'but we have some things to finish up in the investigation first.'

In the meantime, Chamberlain said Hazelton is home and recuperating from her injuries.

'I've talked to her and she's doing pretty well,' he said. 'She's got some soreness in her back, but she's getting around.'

Chamberlain said the young mother, whose daughter escaped injury because she was strapped in her stroller, was lucky not to have suffered more devastating injuries in the crash.

Though Chamberlain said the investigation is close to being wrapped up, he still can't quite understand what caused the driver to flee.

'I don't know why someone would leave the scene of an accident,' he said.